Risk of Blackjack Variations

One of the great things about the game of blackjack is its simplicity. Basic strategy is fairly simple to learn if you take the time to acquaint yourself with it. Because of its simplicity, however, there is plenty of room for variations in the rules. There are countless rule variations common to casinos, online casinos, cruises and friendly games. I have even covered some of the most common blackjack variations, such as pontoon and double exposure.

However, there is a risk to playing any of these blackjack variations that some people don’t think about. Most players will lose a lot more money playing blackjack variations than playing the traditional game. One reason for that is that most blackjack variations have a higher house edge than the standard game. However, there is more to it than that.

Blackjack is a rare casino game in that it requires skill and if you have enough skill and play using proper basic strategy, you can actually make money at the blackjack table. However, making money is contingent on sticking to strategy and making the correct decisions. Because the blackjack variations change the rules of play, they often require a different strategy than the traditional game. The strategy is often similar, but with subtle variations. If you play with the basic strategy for the traditional game, you could be victimized by the rule changes.

What’s worse, often players will abandon strategy entirely when playing the different blackjack variations. This is especially true if it’s their first time playing that variation. It makes sense. You see a new game and are excited to play blackjack in a different way. Therefore, you get caught up in the excitement and forget about basic strategy. Also, if there are many complex rule variations in that blackjack game, you may focus on remembering all of those and simply waiting for one of those unique situations to occur, forgetting about the rest of the game.

Luckily, if you play blackjack variations online, it is easier for you to combat those bad habits. One advantage of playing online blackjack is that you’re playing on your own. There are no other players at your table waiting for you and there is no dealer. It’s just you and the computer. For that reason, if you’re playing a blackjack variation online, I advise finding the correct basic strategy chart for that game, making sure you understand all of the rules, and playing at a pace that allows you to play mistake free. That way you can take advantage of the perks of the variations without all of the negative elements.

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on Friday, April 9th, 2010 at 8:03 pm and is filed under Uncategorized.
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